Latest news with #TorontoPublicHealth
Globe and Mail
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Globe and Mail
Toronto under heat warnings for more than half the summer, putting city's most vulnerable at risk
Toronto has spent more than half the summer so far under heat warnings, according to data from Environment Canada, which show the area has already surpassed the number of extremely hot days in each of the past two years. Environment Canada meteorologist Steven Flisfeder said the city has been under a heat warning for 21 days so far this summer, with the fifth such warning issued on Monday. In Toronto, heat warnings are issued when the temperature reaches 31 degrees or higher for two or more consecutive days, while the overnight low remains at 20 degrees or higher. A warning can also be triggered if the humidex – which measures how humidity makes it feel hotter than the actual temperature – is expected to reach above 40 for two consecutive days, Mr. Flisfeder said. The current heatwave hit much of Southern Ontario, with daytime temperatures in the low 30s on Monday and humidex values in the low 40s. The heat prompted public-health warnings as local governments implemented emergency plans and hospitals reported an increase in ER visits. Heat-related emergency-room visits at Toronto hospitals in July have more than doubled this year, compared with visits the same month last year, according to data provided by Toronto Public Health. The data show there were 51 heat-related emergency-department visits to Toronto hospitals so far this month as of Sunday, compared with 21 in July, 2024, and 16 in July, 2023. Heat wave blamed for 42 Toronto emergency room visits, public health says Toronto to review gaps in city's heat strategy at Mayor Olivia Chow's request Health Canada lists people with low incomes, people with chronic illnesses and those experiencing homelessness as particularly vulnerable to extreme heat. Rev. Maggie Helwig, rector of the Church of St. Stephen-in-the-Fields in Toronto's Kensington Market, said she's noticed people who access services at the church seem listless during periods of extreme heat. Ms. Helwig said the church receives enough donations of water to be able to provide it to those in need. It also has a drop-in program on Friday evenings, and serves breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. The church's yard is currently home to about eight or nine people who live outdoors in an encampment, she said. 'People are clearly unwell and being very badly affected,' Ms. Helwig said, adding that people are dehydrated and visibly sunburnt. She said that while the city offers cooling centres for those experiencing homelessness, there are still barriers to accessing them, such as the distance required to travel to get to them. 'To get from Kensington Market to Metro Hall in an extreme heat alert is in itself dangerous,' Ms. Helwig said, referring to one of the municipally run cooling centres. In the short term, she said people need access to water and air-conditioned spaces. However, what vulnerable people really need is access to housing. 'The ultimate answer is not patching up – bandaging – a lot of wounds on the street. The ultimate answer is: Get people into housing,' Ms. Helwig said. Mr. Flisfeder said there have been more days under heat warnings in Toronto so far this summer than in the past few years, with 16 days last year, 19 in 2023 and 23 in 2022. Ask a doctor: What are the signs of heat illness? Presently, the city is trending toward summers similar to 2016 and 2020, when there were seven and eight warnings issued, respectively, Mr. Flisfeder said. He said the temperature is expected to remain above average for the rest of the summer. 'That doesn't mean every day or every week we'll be under a heat event or a heat warning, but generally speaking, when we compare to climatological norms, we're expecting over all, the rest of the summer to be above seasonal,' Mr. Flisfeder said. Daytime highs this time of the year should be around 27 degrees in Toronto, he said. Typically, the daytime highs would go down to the mid-20s halfway through August and would continue to decline as September approaches. The City of Toronto has a Heat Relief Strategy, which includes a map of cool spaces such as public pools, community centres, splash pads, libraries and more. Senior communications adviser for the City of Toronto Elise von Scheel said the municipality activates more than 100 additional shelter spaces across the city during heat warnings. Additional staff who focus on distributing water bottles to people experiencing homelessness, including those in encampments, are also deployed during heat warnings, she said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Toronto Public Health warns of possible Hepatitis A exposure at downtown restaurant
Toronto Public Health is warning customers who dined at a King Street W. restaurant that they may have been exposed to Hepatitis A. CBC'S Naama Weingarten has more details.
CBC
4 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Toronto Public Health warns of possible Hepatitis A exposure at downtown restaurant
Toronto Public Health is warning customers who dined at a King Street W. restaurant that they may have been exposed to Hepatitis A. CBC'S Naama Weingarten has more details.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Toronto health officials warn of possible Hepatitis A exposure at downtown restaurant
Toronto Public Health's offices at Dundas and Victoria St. in Toronto is seen on Monday, August 21, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston Toronto Public Health (TPH) is advising the public of a possible Hepatitis A exposure at a downtown restaurant after an employee tested positive for the virus. The health unit said those who dined at Earls Kitchen + Bar at 601 King St. W., at Portland Street, on the following dates and times may have been exposed: Friday, July 11 from 4 p.m. to close Saturday, July 12 from 4:30 p.m. to close Tuesday, July 15 from 4:30 p.m. to close Wednesday, July 16 from 7 p.m. to close Diners who may have been exposed to the virus are being urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible. According to TPH, the vaccine is most effective when received within 14 days of exposure. Toronto Public Health added customers should watch for signs and symptoms, and wash their hands often and thoroughly with soap and warm water. 'There is no ongoing risk to the public,' TPH said in a release. Symptoms of Hepatitis A, which can cause a liver infection, and include fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting, dark urine, stomach pains, and jaundice. 'Symptoms can last a few days to several months. Most people who are infected recover completely and develop lifetime immunity following infection,' public health said, noting that death from Hepatitis A infection is rare. TPH is hosting free Hepatitis A vaccine clinics at Metro Hall on July 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. and on July 26 from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Michelle Murti appointed Toronto's new medical officer of health
Michelle Murti has been appointed Toronto's new medical officer of health, after city council's approval. Her start on Sept. 3 is subject to the approval of the province's Ministry of Health. Dr. Murti currently serves as associate chief medical officer of health for Ontario. "She has played a pivotal role in pandemic preparedness, emergency response and health system transformation," the city said in a news release Wednesday. Dr. Murti has a medical degree, a public health Master's degree and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in public health and preventive medicine. She is also licensed in family medicine and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health. "Under Dr. Murti's leadership, Toronto Public Health will continue to build on its legacy of innovation, resilience and impact as one of Canada's leading local public health agencies," the city said. Dr. Murti says she is honoured to be taking on this role. "I look forward to working alongside the incredible Toronto Public Health staff and with community and city partners to protect and improve health, reduce health inequities and make Toronto a healthy and resilient place where we can all live, work and play," she said in the release. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said this move is a step forward. "I am confident that Dr. Murti is well-prepared to take on the top leadership role for Toronto Public Health in its service to our residents," she said in the release. Dr. Na-Koshie Lamptey will continue to serve as Toronto's acting medical officer of health until Sept. 2.
